In a wild twist of fate, the 23-year-old has been a perfect replacement for the guy he fought Wednesday night. That being Zack Kassian, who Ken Holland traded at the 2022 Entry Draft to give the Oilers some cap space. Even though Kassian was a fan favourite, it had to be done.
In his return to Edmonton with the Arizona Coyotes, Kassian dropped the gloves with the newest Oiler, and it just so happened to complete the ''Gordie Howe Hat-Trick'' for Kostin.
After a few heavy cross-checks, Kostin had enough of the ex-Oiler and dropped the gloves, leaving Kassian leaking afterward. See below:
Kostin was acquired from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for defenseman Dmitri Samorukov earlier this season, and in 11 games with Edmonton, he has recorded two goals and one assist.
The Russian brings a physical element to the Oilers that's been missing without Kassian, especially since the injury to Evander Kane. While averaging around ten minutes of time on ice per game, Kostin has registered 26 hits in 11 contests.
